Sports Writer

Sydney have set Mike Pyke the daunting task of finding form against former premiership teammate Shane Mumford after he edged out Tom Derickx from the Swans' team to face Greater Western Sydney on Saturday night.

The return of Kurt Tippett from injury has forced the Swans to show their hand with their ruck stocks and they have shown their faith in Pyke, who is yet to hit his straps this season after a career-best campaign last year.

Pyke was a late withdrawal a fortnight ago when the Swans opted for one specialist ruckman against Port Adelaide but some indifferent recent form by Derickx created an opening for the former Candian rugby international.

But Swans coach John Longmire said the door had not been slammed shut on Derickx.

Advertisement

"He's been really good for us this year," Longmire said. "We've been really pleased with how he's gone and to be able to shoulder the whole ruck-load burden, which he's been able to do for so long.

"Pykey, who obviously does a lot of the ruck work, will do that this week, but we've also got Sam Reid and Kurt Tippett who will be able to do some as well.

"It's a big job for Pykey against Mumford, but hopefully he goes well and I'm sure we'll see Tom Derickx again before too long."

Mumford, controversially squeezed out by the Swans after they signed Lance Franklin, has been a revelation for the Giants in his first year at the club and has been instrumental in each of their four victories, bulldozing a path clear for his team's young midfielders.

"He's a gun, Mummy – we know how good he is with his follow-up," Parker said. "Hopefully I can stay out of his way and not get tackled by him."

The Swans, aiming for their 10th win in a row, have said publicly revenge will not be a motivating factor but conceded they did not treat the Giants with sufficient respect in their season-opener.

"I think we came out in round one, we were a bit complacent and thought it would just happen," Parker said.

"It was a very poor loss. We weren't shocked, we didn't come ready to play. You can see it doesn't matter who you play. If you're a little bit off, you'll be beaten – it doesn't matter who it is.

"We thought we'd rock up and it'd happen. They went to another level in the second half and we didn't go with them.

"It's been a long time since then and we've had some good wins and turned it around. Our mindset's totally different coming into this game."

The Giants regard the match as another chance to test their wares against what coach Leon Cameron described as an "absolute A-grade side".

They will enter the game after enjoying arguably the best month in their short history – one which has produced gallant losses to Hawthorn and Essendon and back-to-back victories against Brisbane and Carlton.

"We are going up a level, playing the best side in the competition that has won nine in a row," said Giants coach Leon Cameron.

"Yes the round one victory against the Sydney Swans was probably unexpected by a lot of people. Internally, we were really confident that we could take it up to them.

"It’s just another challenge and it’s a derby, which obviously is going to have some more added interest to the game, and I said to our boys 'that is great for us'.

"So it means added pressure, a different environment, a huge crowd, which is great for our young group to play against, but ultimately if we can contribute like we have been contributing in the last four weeks on field, it holds us in good stead."

The coach said No.1 draft pick Tom Boyd was unlucky to miss out but Jeremy Cameron's return will add extra firepower to a forward line that he believes is starting to perform with more consistency.